Mandatory School Uniforms Should Be Mandatory

In 1755, Benjamin Franklin, inventor, author, and founding father of the American government wrote, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Thus, in regards to the debate of the school uniform policy, could it be said, to conform to the masses to secure a little safety; liberty is being forsaken? Uniforms have been around for centuries; yet, only more recently introduced into American public schools in 1979, as a way to combat differences in social status among students. Today, school uniform policies are being looked at as a way to combat violence in the American school systems. Collin’s English Dictionary online defines uniforms as a prescribed

Determining what to wear to school is difficult for the majority of middle and high schoolers. Wouldn't it be simpler to just have a set outfit planned for each and every day? Throughout education history, the concept of school uniforms has been experimented and debated within both public and private schools. Several schools across the United States require these uniforms, while the rest apply a dress code. Although applying a dress code may seem as if it eliminates all issues with inappropriate clothing violation, it is truly not advantageous. The only alternative to mend this situation would be to enforce school uniforms. Not only would this decrease dress code violations, it would lessen discipline referrals, improve students' self esteems,

Imagine being back in middle and high school and waking up everyday to get ready for school. Depending on how students are feeling that day, they put on an outfit that makes them feel their best. Students go to school and are surrounded by other students who have many diverse styles and looks. Now imagine waking up to go to school and having to wear exactly what everyone else in the school is wearing -- the dreaded school uniform. That image will make most young people, who thrive on individuality and creativity, cringe at just the thought.

Should school uniforms be required in public schools? There are many reasons to get school uniforms. It is proven through statistics that school uniforms may decrease the amount of crime but also increase student safety. With uniforms fighting in schools dropped by 51%, sexual offenses depleted by 74% and drug possession went down by 69% (M. Sue Stanley). Student uniforms are all the same, which helps the students and teacher conserve precious class time by not having to re-enforce the standard dress code. Having the same clothes as everyone else can be upsetting but, TeenVogue stated “there are tons of ways to amp up your standard issue getup” (Teen Vogue).

Some people also argue that mandatory uniforms could be considered a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution, located in the Bill of Rights (Hudson). People argue this because they feel that uniforms limit self expression, which is a coveted right by most people outside of America. “I’ll tell you; we’re proposing that everyone can only get along if everyone conforms to the same standards. It’s not a healthy lesson. The message should be conflict resolution no matter the physical appearance. In the real world, people do not all look the same” (Hoofnagle). Uniforms will not prepare a child for the future. They will make a rougher future for most children because they will not understand that people have the right to be unique, diverse, and to express their individuality.

“If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms” This statement from Bill Clinton was what started a movement toward using uniforms in-state school in the United States in 1996. Since then school uniforms have become a common thing in the school system in the United States. There is no doubt that school uniforms can lead to loss of students’ rights to express themselves and that school uniforms will not generally stop bullying even though they might increase student’s safety.

According to a study done by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) said that the popularity of school uniforms are clearly on the rise. Now more schools have uniforms rising from 28 percent to 49 percent in thirteen years (Tucker). School uniforms can help improve behavior leading to safer schools and safer communities. School uniforms can also lead to an increase in academic behavior leading to better grades, better colleges, and better lives. School uniforms should be implemented in K-12 public because they help improve student behavior and increase academic success.

In the United States, the everyday outfitting of public school students has been under debate since the fall of 1987. The first public school to enforce the school uniform policies were in Baltimore, Maryland with Cherry Hill Elementary School. The origin of the policy in Maryland has been linked to a local public school shooting in 1986, which involved a student being wounded during a fight over a pair of $95 sunglasses (ProCon.org). By the fall of the next year, 41 other public schools in Washington, DC had joined the movement with also establishing mandatory school uniforms for the students. Fast forwarding to the year 2014, about 51% of public schools throughout the United States are requiring some kind of dress code for their students,

Nowadays, we see many teenagers dress in spaghetti-strap tank tops, low-cut shirts, drop pants, pajamas, and even spandex shorts in school even though there have been policies about dress codes. Teachers, parents, and other adults feel disgruntled about the way they dress. Many students also complain about difficulties in concentrating on schoolwork because of the same reason. Obviously, what students wear to school has become a very distracting issue in the school environment. Therefore, school uniforms should be required in public schools due to many reasons.

Then another one about High School and College is changed to wear uniforms anymore before school was Elementary and Middle School must to wear it. For High School, any clothing is wear about good behaoir and growing up for adults. About want to see wear in schools is fashion and looking outfits of the weeks. It's students want to see something for models in school with girls is pretty with clothes and boys is handsome was uniforming that different. The most school must to rule school about wear to clothing something for students do not allow bring a show in class. It's happening to High School quickly to disruption take away is negative something with student for school are uniforms. For College can allow wearing any clothing enough to adults

Even though our school does not mandate school uniforms, some schools have this rule. The students feel like the uniforms confines them in a world of the same. As kids, our parents encourage us to be ourselves, to be anything we want to be. Each person has the ability to be as unique as they want to be, schools limits that ability, to express ourselves.

Two years ago, during my junior year in high school, I was asked to write an essay on whether I agree or disagree that uniforms should be required in schools. I automatically disagreed, which made it easy for me to start my essay. I always hated wearing uniform, especially when we went on field trips. It was extremely difficult for anyone to express himself or herself; we needed to dress the way we wanted. When writing the essay, during my third paragraph I had run out of reasons as to why uniforms should not be required. I then realized that disagreeing was not going to work for me; therefore I needed to think of something else. As a result, I used critical thinking by making a list and thinking of positive and negative outcomes uniforms provided.

In this paper you will find four main reasons why all public schools should adopt a school uniform policy, and there is a paragraph with a counter argument with school uniforms. There is a discussion on how the crime rate decreases amongst students, how uniforms save the families money, how gang related activities have decreased, and how there is less stress between students and parents. By the time you finish reading this paper, you too should agree that all public schools should adopt a school uniform policy.

The obnoxious ringing of the alarm had been going on far too long when, suddenly, Lindsey jolts out of bed after realizing she has already hit snooze three times. Lindsey now has to find a way to be ready for school in five minutes with no outfit pre-planned; she will have to make the sacrifice of wearing sweatpants just to have time to eat breakfast! Students all over the world have the freedom to decide what they will wear to school each day, but is the freedom really worth having to put thought in to what you will wear each day, having to abide by a stricter dress code, risking judgement upon yourself, and spending a greater amount of money on clothing each year? As a student who has been required to wear a uniform throughout thirteen years of school, I have grown an appreciation for them. Uniforms should not be as ridiculed as they are, as they are actually a positive, manageable choice of clothing that all students should want to wear to school each day!

School systems have debated for years if they should make school uniforms mandatory for all students. Some parents do not want school systems to mandate uniforms due to pressure from their children to be able to maintain their individuality through clothing, while other parents prefer uniforms to reduce spending money on name brand school clothes and to minimize associations with gangs. More school systems across the United States of America are going to uniforms from grades one through twelve where students are still impressionable by their peers. I believe public schools should require students to wear school uniforms to help parents save money in these hard economic times, to limit the number of incidents of violence in the school systems due to gangs and gang associates such as colors, and to prepare students for the job force after school where some places make it mandatory to wear uniforms to work every day.